Running time: 101 minutes
Starring: Nicolas Cage, Meryl Streep, Chris Cooper, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Judy Greer, Ron Livingston
Rating 9 out of 10
Films about the process of film-making are nothing new, and indeed the whole cultural understanding of film-making has become so much more elevated that even popcorn movies such as the Scream series can throw in references to mise-en-scene and auterism. While these films are usually entertaining - audiences are always fascinated by the breakdown of the cinematic process - it is a subject that has had more than its fair share of movies devoted to it.
What a relief then to come across Adaptation, a film that may well be unlike any other movie in history. Except perhaps Being John Malkovich, which is where Adaptation actually begins, with the actual writer of BJM, Charlie Kaufman (Cage) hanging dismally around the set of his own movie and undergoing a serious crisis of confidence.
Charlie is upset because he is convinced he is worthless. Fat, balding, sweaty and talentless. What's more, he is struggling to make any progress on his next screenplay, an adaptation of the book The Orchid Thief by New Yorker staff writer Susan Orlean. To make matters worse, while Charlie sits at home in front of a blank screen, his dorky twin brother Donald (also played by Cage) decides that he wants to become a screenwriter too, and promptly devises a ludicrous plot for a thriller that, he insists, conforms to all of the necessary principles of good screenwriting.
This saga of an uninspired writer is cross-cut with the story of Susan Orlean (Streep) and her own attempts to write her book. Inspired after meeting John Laroche, a renowned but clearly obsessed horticulturalist (played by an unrecognisable Chris Cooper), Orlean becomes a little obsessive herself about the flower man. Back in Hollywood, Charlie obsesses about Susan the writer - and wonders if he should meet her.
A written review can do little justice to the joy of actually seeing this film. Director Spike Jonze and Kaufman have revitalised the logic of storytelling to a degree that will be talked about - and undoubtedly mimicked - for years to come. What's more, they don't pander to the converted: this is easily accessible stuff. Just as Jonze's video for Fatboy Slim's Praise You made it impossible to take your eyes away from the television for three minutes, this is a film that grabs you early on and proves giddily addictive.
Coupled with one of the most innovative scripts in years comes acting to match. Cage, for once leaving his superhero look behind him, is brilliant as both brothers and the scenes between them are superbly shot and acted. Streep unleashes a subtle comedy side to her that is rarely seen (and has one of the best and funniest drug scenes in recent memory), while Cooper has a startling turn that will push him into the greater public consciousness he deserves.
Few films from any country have even a whiff of the wit and daring that runs through Adaptation. Great performances, plenty of laugh-out-loud moments and, despite Kaufman's avowed declaration at the beginning of the film, one or two moments that will make you think about things in a way you may never have before. Quite demented, and quite brilliant.
What a relief then to come across Adaptation, a film that may well be unlike any other movie in history. Except perhaps Being John Malkovich, which is where Adaptation actually begins, with the actual writer of BJM, Charlie Kaufman (Cage) hanging dismally around the set of his own movie and undergoing a serious crisis of confidence.
Charlie is upset because he is convinced he is worthless. Fat, balding, sweaty and talentless. What's more, he is struggling to make any progress on his next screenplay, an adaptation of the book The Orchid Thief by New Yorker staff writer Susan Orlean. To make matters worse, while Charlie sits at home in front of a blank screen, his dorky twin brother Donald (also played by Cage) decides that he wants to become a screenwriter too, and promptly devises a ludicrous plot for a thriller that, he insists, conforms to all of the necessary principles of good screenwriting.
This saga of an uninspired writer is cross-cut with the story of Susan Orlean (Streep) and her own attempts to write her book. Inspired after meeting John Laroche, a renowned but clearly obsessed horticulturalist (played by an unrecognisable Chris Cooper), Orlean becomes a little obsessive herself about the flower man. Back in Hollywood, Charlie obsesses about Susan the writer - and wonders if he should meet her.
A written review can do little justice to the joy of actually seeing this film. Director Spike Jonze and Kaufman have revitalised the logic of storytelling to a degree that will be talked about - and undoubtedly mimicked - for years to come. What's more, they don't pander to the converted: this is easily accessible stuff. Just as Jonze's video for Fatboy Slim's Praise You made it impossible to take your eyes away from the television for three minutes, this is a film that grabs you early on and proves giddily addictive.
Coupled with one of the most innovative scripts in years comes acting to match. Cage, for once leaving his superhero look behind him, is brilliant as both brothers and the scenes between them are superbly shot and acted. Streep unleashes a subtle comedy side to her that is rarely seen (and has one of the best and funniest drug scenes in recent memory), while Cooper has a startling turn that will push him into the greater public consciousness he deserves.
Few films from any country have even a whiff of the wit and daring that runs through Adaptation. Great performances, plenty of laugh-out-loud moments and, despite Kaufman's avowed declaration at the beginning of the film, one or two moments that will make you think about things in a way you may never have before. Quite demented, and quite brilliant.
